17 Home Remedies for Blackheads

April 22, 2015

Blackheads are just pimples that don’t have skin over them. Because there is no skin, they’re open to the air and the top layer of gunk oxidizes and turns them to the darkish black color. There are many ways to get rid of them. This article provides instructions for a number of home remedies for blackheads.

Home Remedies for Blackheads

Factors like hormonal changes in the body, excessive use of cosmetic products, improper skin care, stress and genetics contribute to this problem. Blackheads commonly occur on the face, particularly the nose. They can also appear on the chest, back, neck, arms and shoulders. If left untreated, they can spur acne breakouts.

There are many prescription medicines for the treatment of blackheads, but you can always try natural home remedies. With simple ingredients easily found in most kitchens, you can get rid of blackheads within a few days.

1. Baking Soda

Baking soda is an effective treatment for blackheads as well as acne. It helps clear the skin of impurities such as debris and dirt.

Mix two teaspoons of baking soda with mineral water to make a paste.

Apply the paste generously on the affected skin area and massage gently.

Allow it to dry for a few minutes before rinsing it off with warm water.

Repeat this remedy once or twice a week.

2. Clay

Bentonite clay is a mineral rich healing substance that has been used for centuries to treat a number of ailments, chiefly skin related. Because of its molecules “electrical charge” when wet, it does an amazing job of drawing out oils or other impurities locked in your pores. When you apply the mask your skin gets to drink in all the minerals, while the clay simultaneously draws out the blackhead. It also helps with circulation, which helps with overall skin tone and health.

You can mix the clay with water or apple cider vinegar, maybe sticking to the former if you have dry or sensitive skin. This mask will make you feel like your face is tightening as it dries.

Mix in enough water or apple cider vinegar to form a paste that is thick but still applicable.

Using clean fingertips cover your face with a thinner layer of paste and let it sit for 10-25 minutes, depending on how long you are letting it dry.

3. Oatmeal

Using distilled water (free of contaminants), cook enough oatmeal to cover your blackheads.

Cool oats to room temperature before applying to affected areas.

Leave on for ten to twenty minutes then rinse with lukewarm water.

Use this remedy at least once per day.

4. Orange Peel Face Scrub

Using powdered orange peel, you can make a refreshing face scrub that not only smells amazing but is a gentle exfoliator too! Excess oil trapped deep inside open pores is one of the many impurities that form blackheads. Orange peel powder is rich in many powerful nutrients including citric acid, calcium, vitamin C and all these are great for oil control as well as sloughing off dead cells and peeling skin.

5. Egg White Mask

Egg whites form an easy mask that can be used to temporarily tighten pores, thus reducing chances of future blackheads, and will also remove current blackheads. Egg whites are also rich in nutrients for your skin, and are a little less drying than some other home remedies for blackheads.

Separate the yolk from the white and rinse your face.

Pat your face dry and then apply a thin layer of egg white over your skin.

Place a strip of facial tissue or toilet paper over the wet egg white, being sure to press it onto your face gently. Allow the first layer to dry.

Carefully apply a second layer of egg white over the tissue (try dipping your fingers in it and dabbing it on so the tissue doesn’t slide around a bunch. Let this layer dry as well before applying a third (optional).

When the mask is dry, your face may feel tight-this is supposed to happen. Peel the tissue off, and then gently wash your face to remove any residue.

Pat dry and moisturize as usual.

Alternatively, you can leave out the tissue and simply apply 3-5 layers of egg white, being sure to let each layer dry in between applications. If you do not let the layers dry, this will not work.

6. Crushed Almond Face Mask

If you love sprinkling crushed almond on your baked goodies, then its time to crush a little more for your face! Almonds are great for all skin types. They act as gentle exfoliators that remove dead cells and rids skin of germs and excess oils that cause clogged pores. Probiotic yogurt has many beauty benefits to skin, including tightening large pores, destroying germs that cause blackheads in open skin pores and staving off free radicals that cause premature aging.

Squeeze about one teaspoon of juice from an organic lemon into a glass or ceramic bowl.

Apply to blackheads with a small cotton ball (dab, don’t wipe).

Let it dry (at least ten minutes) then rinse off with cold water.

Alternately, you can leave this treatment on skin overnight.

Use this treatment as often as once per day.

9. Turmeric Remedies for Blackheads

Turmeric, a wonder spice, can be used with a variety of ingredients to remove your blackheads and then to give you clear glowing skin with tightened skin pores.

Turmeric and Coriander Remedy

Wash a handful of coriander leaves, crush them and take out their juice.

You should have 1 teaspoon of coriander leaves juice.

Mix coriander juice with 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder to make a paste.

Apply this to your face, preferably at night. Leave for half an hour. Then wash off with lukewarm water.

Be careful enough while you have turmeric on your face or hands. They may give stains everywhere.

Turmeric and Mint Remedy

Add a teaspoon of turmeric powder with 2 tablespoons of mint juice.

Apply on skin with blackheads. Leave for 20 minutes. Then wash off with lukewarm water.

Turmeric, Sandalwood and Milk Remedy

Take 1 teaspoon of red sandalwood paste. You may either get sandalwood powder and mix water to get this paste or rub a piece of sandalwood on stone with some water and collect the paste.

Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of milk to the sandalwood paste.

Apply this on affected skin having blackheads. Leave for 10 minutes. Wash off first with normal water and then with lukewarm water.

10. Apply Creams with AHA

Use a cream with alpha-hydroxy acids, since it will remove all the dead skin cells and expose the blackheads. Creams with AHA sometimes cause skin reactions, so if you are experiencing dryness or flaky skin then discontinue use. Alpha hydroxy acids present in the cream can increase the sensitivity to the Sun, so try not to go outdoors after you apply this cream. Use this cream in every four days.

11. Facial Steaming

This is by far the easiest and quickest way to get rid of blackheads naturally. This remedy softens and loosens up your face, naturally driving the blackhead out. You will need a pan for boiling water, a large fluffy towel and lemon rind (optional).

Bring to a boil 3 to 4 cups of purified water. Remove the pot from heat source after it has begun to boil.

Plop a lemon rind into the boiling water and fetch a large towel.

Sit with the towel draped over your head and place your face over the steam, like a tent. Not too close or it will scald you! Stay in that tent for as long as you can. (It might be hard when you’re doing it the first time but after you get used to it you can stay in longer).

After 3 to 5 minutes, remove the towel and wash your face as you normally do. Avoid harsh cleansers.

Pat dry with a soft fluffy towel.

12. Epsom Salt

Another effective and natural home remedy to get rid of blackheads is Epsom salt.

Mix one teaspoon of Epsom salt and a few drops of iodine in a little hot water until the salt dissolves completely.

Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Use a cotton ball to apply to the mixture on the affected area. Allow the mixture to dry.

Use a clean washcloth to gently wash it off.

13. Strawberry Face Scrub

An awesome smelling face scrub just for your face! Sounds delicious too. All you need to make this face scrub are strawberries, honey and lemon juice. Strawberries and lemon juice are rich in AHA (alpha-hydroxy acids) that makes it a powerful oil blackhead removal tool. These acids lift off old dead cells from the skin’s surface and control oil production, preventing oil clog up.

Strawberries also contain salicylic acids that cleanse out open pores and unplug blackheads. Make this amazing strawberry face scrub to scrub off those protruding blackheads. You will need 2 to 3 ripe strawberries, 1 teaspoon honey and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice.

Mash up the ripe strawberries using the back of a fork until it turns mushy.

Add in the honey and lemon juice and mix well.

Apply the mixture onto your face and keep scrubbing in a gentle circular motion for 2 to 3 minutes. When the time is up, rinse off with lukewarm water.

To close off pores, splash your face with cold water.

14. Cleansing Sugar Scrub

Sometimes all you need is a good exfoliating followed up by moisturizing. Exfoliating does one very important job-it sloughs away dead skin cells. These are the skin cells that could potentially clog up your pores, leading to acne, whiteheads, and of course, blackheads. It also temporarily revives circulation and it leaves you with a healthy glow and soft skin. If possible use jojoba oil, as it is the oil (technically liquid wax) that most closely mimics our skins own sebum.

If you don’t have jojoba oil, grape seed, olive, or sweet almond oil are all fine substitutes. You will need 1 cup of sugar (brown or white), 4 tablespoons of jojoba oil, an airtight glass jar and essential oils (optional).

Mix 4 tablespoons of oil into 1 cup of sugar, stirring until everything is fully incorporated.

Add several drops of essential oil for fragrance if you like. Store in a cool dark place in a glass jar for up to the shelf-life of the oil you chose to use.

Stir before using and then wet face, scoop some scrub onto your fingertips, and massage it over your skin in circular motions.

Rinse with water and moisturize as usual.

Do this no more than 2-3 times a week, otherwise you risk drying out and/or irritating your skin.

15. Green Tea

Vitamins and anti-oxidants in green tea help to break up excess oil and reduce inflammation of acne-prone skin.

Boil eight ounces of water then remove from heat.

Steep two bags or a tea ball containing about two teaspoons of organic green tea for one hour.

Pour liquid into a glass or ceramic bowl and cool until lukewarm.

Dab liquid onto blackheads and let dry (at least 10 minutes).

Rinse with cool water, pat dry, and moisturize.

Repeat this treatment once per day.

16. Olive Oil and Lemon Extract

Mix equal amounts of olive oil and lemon extract to create an effective facial toner against blackheads. Using a cotton ball, apply the mixture to the entire face. You have to concentrate on the nose area. Do this every day and you will be glad on how easily your blackheads fade.

17. Tea Tree Oil

Known for its antiseptic properties that effectively heals skin blemishes, tea tree oil can be one of your best home remedies for blackheads. Apply this every day on the face. You have to pay extra attention to the nose area that is prone to blackheads. It will not only help to get rid of blackheads, it will also prevent it from coming back.